According to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, later confirmed by multiple reporters, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has spurned the Indianapolis Colts offer to be their next head coach to remain in New England. Schefter added that after 48 hours of reflection and conversation, McDaniels decided not to accept the Colts job despite the fact that the “wink-wink” deal was reportedly agreed to weeks ago.

Apparently, Patriots owner Robert Kraft approached McDaniels and ultimately sweetened his contract for him to remain on with New England. This all comes on the day the Colts officially announced McDaniels as their next head coach and that the introductory press conference was to be held on Wednesday. But McDaniels never signed a contract with the Colts and just double-crossed them in favor of a stay in New England. Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston added that clarity of Bill Belichick‘s status in New England and stability for his family were the top factors in McDaniels sudden change of heart.

One thing is for certain, you don’t just walk away from Andrew Luck and a very capable General Manager Chris Ballard who desperately wanted you to be his coach unless you were informed point-blank you’ll be the next Patriots head coach in the very near future with Tom Brady. With all that has gone on over the last few months would anyone be surprised if Belichick pulled a Parcells and just resigned? Kraft may know something we don’t and wants McDaniels as his next coach so he isn’t totally porked. At the very least, he may be told that 2018 is the final year of Bill’s contract and that he will be the coach in 2019.

No other team in the NFL is going to hire Josh McDaniels after he just pulled this on the Colts in favor of a stay in New England, and he may be just fine with that because he wants to be the successor the Bill Belichick’s throne in Foxboro. Nevertheless, Indianapolis is back to square one and the two other candidates they were interested in for the position, Mike Vrabel and Matt Nagy, have already been hired elsewhere.

There are only two things for certain right now, the Colts just got royally screwed of landing a legitimately great offensive minded coach to work with Andrew Luck and the future of the Patriots in 2018 and beyond is anything but certain.

Stunning news, and Tom Brady gets to keeping working with his good friend Josh McDaniels.